Spoiled Single Parent

I am in many ways a very spoiled single parent. I have at least three luxuries that many can only dream of, and it helps to remember that:

I am lucky enough to have affordable housing - a fact I occasionally take for granted until I hear tales from others. A friend recently sat at my kitchen table and told Aly and I how she grew up in a single parent household and had to sleep in kitchens, attics, "wherever there was a spot."

(You should have seen how wide Aly's eyes got! She has always had her own room, although she suffers from nightmares and still prefers my bedroom floor. But at least she has a space to call her own.)

By some small miracle, I receive child support, although this has been spotty lately. Of course, not receiving it for 11 years with Aly ensures I will always be able to sympathize with not getting it.

(I just wish it was a little more consistent these days, as I can never plan ahead with it, and my subsidized rent is based on the most I could get, versus what I often do get.)

I also receive subsidized child care, which means AJ attends a quality preschool and is not stuck, as a friend of mine is, relying on a relative who is providing (in my opinion) unhealthy food and minimal stimulation. I am fairly certain that AJ will be prepared for Kindergarten and her son will not.

It is not simply most single parents who would give anything for these luxuries, but in the case of assistance with housing and child care, many low-income families in general would. And "low-income" is subjective, because many parents cannot make do with their pay, but do not qualify for some of these programs.

I myself am somewhat "trapped" in making the amount of money I do. My budget is extremely tight, with no room for unexpected expenses. But if I were to make much more, all these services would disappear. Unfortunately, it would take even more money to be able to afford them on my own.

Still, it's better to be "trapped" with these luxuries than to be trapped with nowhere to turn. And I am grateful.